© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week Neighborhood of the Week revisits the western edge of downtown to take another look at a small community with a big history: historic Mechanicsville.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Not only does old Mechanicsville have a colorful history, it also contains perhaps the largest collection of 19th century architecture in Knoxville. From the Knox Heritage website:

The area of present day Mechanicsville which contains the most intact number of historic structures was developed initially as Deaderick’s Addition, J.W. Swann’s Addition, and Moses Fairview Addition. This area contains the larger Queen Anne and Italianate houses built for factory owners and area businessmen, and the smaller cottages of factory workmen…

Mechanicsville derives its name from the large number of factories that developed just outside its boundaries during the late 18th and early 20th centuries. It was settled around 1880. By 1883, Mechanicsville had a population of over 2,000. Most residents of the Mechanicsville worked in the factories and mills that surrounded the neighborhood. Mechanicsville, with its railroad and water source (Second Creek), quickly became the center for industrial activity in Knoxville…

One of the first industries to locate in Mechanicsville was the Knoxville Iron Company, incorporated in 1868 … The Knoxville Iron Company manufactured bar iron, nails, and railroad spikes, as well as ornamental iron. Ornamental iron fences and trim on houses in Mechanicsville are probably products of the Knoxville Iron Company.

Other industries in Mechanicsville included Knoxville Brewing Company, Knox Standard Handle, W.H. Evans & Son (suppliers of Italian marble), The Pottery and Pipe Works, Knoxville Box & Keg Factory, a railroad turntable factory, a broom factory, a soap factory, Cudley Planning Mill and Knoxville Car & Wheel…

In addition, the Mechanicsville area is home to Knoxville College, founded in 1875.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Knox Heritage has even more on the history of the area, as well as an online tour. If you’re more
interested in architecture, Restore Knoxville has a great write up on the neighborhood’s many architectural styles.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

The Mechanicsvile area is still very much in transition, and while some of the homes have been restored to their former glory, others are still waiting for urban renewal to come their way.  Since homes are priced according to the level of restoration they’ve undergone,  expect prices to be somewhat disparate.

So, if you’re looking for an emerging area close to downtown and rich in history and architecture, and don’t mind the possibility of some sweat equity, definitely check out historic Mechanicsville.

Note: While there is newer construction near the older part of Mechanicsville, for the purposes of this NOTW I’m only going to be looking at the small area that most people consider to be the “historic” section of Mechanicsville.

Here’s historic Mechanicsville by the numbers -

Mechanicsville*

Current On-Market Listings - 1
Asking Price: $34,500
Details: 1 BR, 1 BA, 700+ sq ft updated Victorian cottage

Current Pending Sales - 1
Asking Price: $259,900
Details: 3 BR, 2 BA, 2500+ sq ft completely restored from 1889)

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2008 - 2
Average Asking Price - $53,200
Average Sales Price - $39,500
Average Square Ft- 1822
Average Days on Market -40

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2007- 0
Average Asking Price - NA
Average Sales Price - NA
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market - NA

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 12/15/08 does not include condos, PUDS, adjacent neighborhoods or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Mechanicsville Listings” or “New Mechanicsville Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Nobody wants Spam for Christmas.

I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting places to feature on NOTW. If you have a suggestion, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week Neighborhood of the Week heads to the center of the city to explore an area it’s shied away from until now - Downtown Knoxville.

The main reason I’ve not covered downtown condos and lofts until now is that it’s a fairly daunting task. Not only is there a good bit of history and intrigue surrounding all of those building and developments, but there are also just an awful lot of them: roughly 80 active listings on the north side of the river in over 14 different developments. I’ve simply been torn about whether to try and feature them each separately or to just lump them together somehow. That is until tonight.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Tonight I was in the Sunsphere - for the first time since ‘82 no less - talking to some folks about the general state of the Knoxville real estate market when the conversation turned to downtown and how it’s faring through all of this. Was it doing better than the rest of town? Worse? And how much are all those places selling for anyway? Can anyone actually afford to live there?

And that’s when I thought to myself, “Self, why not just give your friendly AAKT readers a general overview of how the downtown condo scene is doing and then worry about breaking each development down individually later?”

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

So that’s what this week’s NOTW is all about - giving you guys a rough idea of  what’s selling - and what’s not selling - in downtown K-Town. My plan is to go back and cover individual developments in the very near future, so if any of you live somewhere in the downtown area you think is worth featuring here, please give me a shout. I’d love to have some juicy insider info to pass along.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

So without further ado, here’s downtown Knoxville by the numbers -

Downtown Knoxville Condos/Lofts*

Current On-Market Listings -82
Average Asking Price: $347,285
Median Asking Price: $319,950
Average Sq Footage: 1459
Average Asking Price Per Sq Ft: $238

Most Expensive: $1,250,000 (3 BR, 3 BA, 3400+ sq ft Penthouse in The Holston building)
Least Expensive: $163,460 (1 BR, 1 BA, 700+ sq ft in The Commerce Lofts)
Middle of the Road: $320,000 (2 BR, 1 1/2 BA, 1800+ sq ft in The Lerner Lofts)

Current Pending Sales -13*
Average Asking Price: $254,355
Median Asking Price:$308,925
*10 of the currently 13 pending sales are in The Commerce Lofts and many were put into pending over 5 months ago, so I’m not sure what the real status of these is.

Closed Sales - Q3 2007 - 9
Average Asking Price - $273,744
Average Sales Price - $267,656
Average Closed Price Per Sq Ft - $183
Median Sales Price - $208,000
Average Days on Market - 137

Closed Sales - Q3 2008 - 7
Average Asking Price - $315,243
Average Sales Price - $299,436
Average Closed Price Per Sq Ft - $225
Median Sales Price - $234,000
Average Days on Market - 213

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 12/08/08 does not include adjacent neighborhoods or single family residences.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Downtown Condo Listings” or “New Downtown Condo Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Save the spammy for your mammy.

Know of a great community that would make an equally great NOTW? Let your voice be heard in the comments.

Special thanks to AAKT’s in-house photographer, Robert Stockdale. Without him, NOTW would be just a bunch of boring text. Find out more about Robert’s work here.

Looks like another Knoxville neighborhood just got Knoxified.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week, Neighborhood of the Week revisits one of West Knoxville oldest and finest neighborhoods, Sequoyah Hills.

Located off of Kingston Pike just a few miles west of the University of Tennessee campus, Sequoyah Hills sits in a bend of the Tennessee river and is known around town for its large, tree-lined main boulevard, its gorgeous lake views, its awesome parks, and its very expensive homes.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Sequoyah Hills proper dates back to around 1920 and the Kingston Pike Sequoyah Hills Association has a pretty thorough history of the development of the area from that time to present.

Like many neighborhoods that are developed over several decades,  Sequoyah Hills is very architecturally diverse. Styles include everything from English Tudor, English Cottage, and American Colonial to fifites and sixties ranchers, contemporary Frank Lloyed Wright inspired homes, and newer traditional homes.

Much like Holston Hills to the east, construction of larger homes came to a halt at the start of the Great Depression and homes built during and after the war tended to be more modest cottage style homes, so home sizes - and prices -  are also quite diverse in the neighborhood.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Sequoyah Hills is home to the George Berber designed Sequoyah School (now a public K-5 school), the Sequoyah branch of the Knoxville public library, Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, Blackbird Coffeehouse, Sequoyah Hills Park and the Sequoyah Greenway.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Sequoyah Hills is easily accessible via Kingston Pike and I-40 and is a 5-10 minute drive to downtown or UT campus.

So if you’re looking for a historic home in a fairly self-contained community on the west side of town and have a good bit of money to spend, Sequoyah Hills might be a good place to hang your hat.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Here’s Sequoyah Hills by the numbers -

Sequoyah Hills*

Current On-Market Listings - 37
Average Asking Price: $750,673
Median Asking Price: $579,000
Average Square Footage: 3825
Most Expensive Listing: $3,389,000 (6 BR, 4 BA, 3 half bath, 7700+ sq ft on 1.3 acres)
Least Expensive Listing: $248,900 (4 BR, 2 BA, 1700+ sq ft Bruce McCarty home)
Middle of the Road: $558,000 (4 BR, 3 BA, 3300+ sq ft ranch)

Current Pending Sales -2
Average Asking Price - $489,500
Median Asking Price - NA

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2008 - 9
Average Sales Price - $594,722
Median Sales Price - $398,000
Average Days on Market -133

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2007 - 10
Average Sales Price - $388,600
Median Sales Price - $345,000
Average Days on Market -92

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 11/24/08 for Sequoyah Hills proper, and does not include adjacent subdivisions, condos, PUDS or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Sequoyah Hills Listings” or “New Sequoyah Hills Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Spam is not where it’s at.

Have I missed your neighborhood? Let me know about it and you might just see it featured here in the coming weeks.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week, Neighborhood of the Week is revisiting a great historic neighborhood just south of the river, Island Home Park.

Island Home began life as a “streetcar suburb” sometime around 1910. In fact, the median that divides the modern day Island Home Boulevard was once where the streetcar tracks ran that served the neighborhood.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

The Island Home Park Neighborhood Association Website has a fascinating history of the neighborhood that was excerpted from the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Island Home Park, written by Ann Bennett of the Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission. It includes great information about Perez Dickinson, the owner of the original “Island Home” summer cottage that is now part of the Tennessee School for the Deaf, as well as details about the varied architectural styles found in the neighborhood, including, most significantly, the Craftsman and Bungalow styles.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

The full history on the IHPNA site is definitely worth checking out when you have the time.

Residents of Island Home also get to enjoy living just minutes from two parks, Ijams Nature Center and Island Home Park.

Ijam’s is a 160 acre wildlife sanctuary with walking trails and regular events like Owl Prowls and Bat Nights.

Island Home Park is a 3 acre city park that features picnic tables, a playground,  a tennis court, access to the Will Skelton Greenway and water access for launching canoes.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Island Home is a low turnover neighborhood and choice homes often sell by word of mouth before they ever hit the market, so interested buyers have to keep a keen eye on the market.

With it’s close proximity to downtown, Island Home is an easy drive to both downtown and UT campus and is easily accessible via I-40 and the South Knoxville Connector.

So if you’re looking for a historic, close-knit neighborhood with easy access to downtown, UT campus, and parks, Island Home might be a great place to call home.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Here’s Island Home by the numbers -

Island Home*

Current On-Market Listings - 2
Average Asking Price: $284,500
Median Asking Price: NA
Average Square Footage: 3224
Most Expensive Listing: $370,000 (5 BR, 4 BA, 4500+ sq ft renovated bungalow)
Least Expensive Listing: $199,00 (3 R, 2 BA, 1900+ sq ft remodeled two story)

Current Pending Sales -0
Average Asking Price - NA
Median Asking Price - NA

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2008 - 0
Average Sales Price - NA
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market -NA

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2007 - 2
Average Sales Price - $169,550
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market -63

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 11/10/08 for Island Home proper, and does not include adjacent subdivisions, condos, PUDS or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Island Home Listings” or “New Island Home Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. I like jammin’, not spammin’.

Know a great neighborhood you think has NOTW potential? Let me know about it and you might just see it featured here in the coming weeks.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week we’re revisiting a Neighborhood of Neighborhood of the Weeks Gone By that is just north of downtown and which is steeped in history and rich in architecture:historic Fourth & Gill.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Located just east of Broadway about a mile or so north of downtown, Fourth & Gill is one of Knoxville’s oldest “streetcar suburbs” and is full of many styles of historic homes. From the Fourth & Gill neighborhood website:

Historic Fourth & Gill is an excellent example of the neighborhoods that flourished in Knoxville during the last quarter of the 19th Century…

…The architectural styles present in the Fourth and Gill Historic Overlay District are a good representation of the residential architecture popular in America between the 1880’s and the 1940’s…The Fourth and Gill Historic Overlay District features over 280 residential structures, including single family houses, duplexes, and apartment buildings. The district also contains one school and three churches. The houses are primarily of frame construction, with large porches and complex rooflines. Most of the masonry veneer and load bearing construction occurred in the 20th Century. Although a number of different styles exist in the Fourth and Gill Historic Overlay District, the majority are Queen Anne and Craftsmen styles.

Many of the houses were designed by some of Knoxville’s most notable architects, including George F. Barber and Joseph Bauman…Historically the area was made up of a varied group of people. Professionals and laborers, families and transients, blacks and whites all lived in close proximity to one another. The neighborhood was home to merchants, mayors and a governor, Robert L. Taylor…

…Within the last two decades the neighborhood has begun to reclaim much of its former glory. The district’s name reflects this effort, being derived from the location of a converted house that serves as the neighborhood center. Owners who could foresee the positive social value of cooperative inner city living have attractively restored many distressed properties to comfortable, modern standards. The Historic Fourth and Gill Neighborhood has a proud past and an equally illustrious future.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Fourth & Gill is just a hop, skip and a jump from downtown and the UT campus and is (normally) easily accessible by I-40 or Broadway.

It is a very walkable neighborhood, with sidewalks on just about every street. Veggies and organic foodies, can even walk to the Three Rivers Market, a whole foods co-op, located just across the way on Broadway.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Here’s Fourth & Gill by the numbers-

Historic Fourth & Gill*

Current On-Market Listings - 4
Average Asking Price: $254,275
Median Asking Price: $279,900
Average Square Footage: 2280

Most Expensive: $314,900 (4 BR, 3 1/2 BA, 2700+ sq ft on Luttrell)
Least Expensive: $142,399 (3 BR, 1 1/2 BA, 1300+ sq ft on Eleanor)

Middle of the Road: $299,900 (4 BR, 2 BA, 3000+ sq ft restored Victorian on Luttrell)

Current Pending Sales -0
Average Asking Price: NA
Median Asking Price: NA

Closed Sales - Q3 2008 - 0
Average Sales Price - NA
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market -NA

Closed Sales - Q3 2007 - 2
Average Sales Price - $272,550
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market -81

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 10/20/08 does not include adjacent subdivisions, condos, PUDS, or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Fourth & Gill Listings” or “New Fourth & Gill Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Spam ain’t part of the deal.

Know of a corner of Knoxville that would make a great Neighborhood of the Week?  Let me know about it and you might just see it featured here soon.

Seeing as how there are only so many neighborhoods in Knoxville, I’m periodically going to be going back and revisiting neighborhoods that have already appeared on Neighborhood of the Week. My plan is to update the sales stats and also add a little more info about life in each particular community. So this week NOTW heads out east and back to historic Holston Hills.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Located off Ashville Highway just 5 miles east of downtown and the University of Tennessee campus, Holston Hills is a great place to live if you like greenery and architectural diversity. Built from the 1920s to the 1960s, Holston Hills has an eclectic mix of pre-stock crash estate homes, post-crash stone cottages, and post-war ranchers. Lots tend to be on the large side, and there is no shortage of old, large trees and rolling hills.

The Knox Heritage website has some nice info on the history of Holston Hills:

One of the best-kept secrets in Knoxville, Holston Hills is named for the river that borders the neighborhood on the south and east . . . Holston Hills dates from the mid-1920s, when part of the neighborhood was developed in connection with the establishment of the Holston Hills Country Club. A group of Knoxville area businessmen who wanted Knoxville to have a top-caliber golf course formed a corporation called Holston Hills, Inc. in 1926 and purchased the 180-acre McDonald farm along the Holston River. The Country Club was built and memberships to the club cost $1,000, including a free home site. The club house was designed by Knoxville architect Charles Barber of Barber & McMurry in 1927 and the golf course was designed and laid out by Donald Ross in 1928. Ross is regarded as among the finest golf course architects in the world.

Many opulent homes were built during the 1920s, but following the stock market crash of 1929 smaller cottage-style homes were built, many of stone and brick. The depression and World War II stopped further housing development, but in the post-war housing boom a number of ranch-style homes were built around the traditional 2-story stone and brick homes of the original development. Holston Hills was included in a major annexation into the city of Knoxville in 1962, which took 12,871 residents.

Take a look at the Knox Heritage website, which includes the full brochure from the ‘05 Trolley Tour of Holston Hills, from which the above information was taken. The brochure has more detailed information on individual homes in Holston Hills, and could easily be used to recreate that tour in your own vehicle one fine spring afternoon.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

And just in case you’re curious, yes, The Holston Hills Country Club is still alive and well today, and in addition to golf, features tennis and swimming.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Here’s Holston Hills by the numbers -

Holston Hills*

Current On-Market Listings -21
Average Asking Price: $199,586
Median Asking Price: $189,900
Average Square Footage: 2407

Most Expensive Listing: $369,900 (3 BR, 3 full bath, 2 half bath, 3200+ sq ft, built in ‘47)

Least Expensive Listing: $109,900 (3 BR, 1 BA, 1900+ sq ft, built in ‘38)

Middle of the Road: $189,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 2000+ sq ft, built in ‘48)

Current Pending Sales -0
Average Asking Price - NA
Median Asking Price -NA

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2008 - 9

Average Asking Price - $185,044
Average Sales Price - $174,922
Median Sales Price - $169,900
Average Days on Market -81

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2007 -5

Average Asking Price - $170,320
Average Sales Price - $165,360
Median Sales Price - $170,000
Average Days on Market -65

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 10/06/08 for Holston Hills proper, and does not include adjacent subdivisions, condos or PUDS.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Holston Hills” or “New Holston Hills Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Spam? Fuhgettaboutit.

I’m always open for ideas for Neighborhood of the Week, so if you know of a great spot that I’ve missed, by all means let me know and you might just see it featured here soon.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week Neighborhood of the Week heads up north to two grand streets that make up one quaint little neighborhood: Fairmont and Emoriland Boulevards.

The area around Fairmont and Emoriland Boulevards was first developed in the 1920s, but the neighborhood has many homes built in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Architectural styles in the neighborhood include Tudor, Spanish Eclectic, and Colonial Revival, as well as many cottage style homes.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Both boulevards are wide and tree-lined, but Emoriland Blvd features a large median that runs the length of the main part of the street. Side streets connect the two boulevards and with sidewalks throughout the neighborhood, Fairmont & Emoriland is a very walkable neighborhood.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

The Fairmont & Emoriland area is easily accessible via I-40 (when it’s not closed down for construction), I-640, and I-275. It’s also a great place for anyone looking for a quick commute to downtown or the UT campus.

So if you’re looking for a affordable, historic home in an quaint, walkable neighborhood with easy access to interstates, UT and downtown, the Fairmont & Emoriland area might be right up your alley.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Special thanks to AAKT’s resident photographer, Robert Stockdale, for the great shots of Fairmont & Emoriland. If you would like to learn more about Robert’s work, please visit his website.

Here’s Fairmont & Emoriland by the numbers -

Fairmont & Emoriland*

Current On-Market Listings - 4
Average Asking Price: $123,495
Median Asking Price: $117,685

Average square footage:1377

Most Expensive: $139,900 (2 BR, 1 BA 1300+ sq ft on Fairmont Blvd)

Least Expensive: $112,900 (3 BR, 1 BA, 1500+ sq ft cottage on Tecoma)

Middle of the Road: $117,685 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1200+ sq ft on Emoriland Blvd)

Current Pending Sales - 0

Closed Sales - Jan 2008 - June 30 2008- 5
Average Asking Price - $116,920
Average Sales Price - $112,890
Median Sales Price - $115,000
Days on Market -109

Closed Sales - Jan 2007 - June 30 2007- 2
Average Asking Price - $162,400
Average Sales Price - $156,000
Median Sales Price - NA
Days on Market -64

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 9/29/08 does not include condos, PUDS, adjacent neighborhoods or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Fairmont & Emoriland Listings” or “New Fairmont & Emoriland Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Spam is so 2007.

Know of a great corner of KTown that would also make a great NOTW? Let me know about it and you might just see it here in the coming weeks.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week Neighborhood of the Week goes back to the north side of town to a historic Fountain City community called Harrill Hills.

Located in the heart of Fountain City just off of Jacksboro Pike, Harrill Hills was founded by established as the result of a partnership between a builder and a Fountain City’s biggest grocer in the 1920, A. Hale Franklin. According to the Fountain City News website:

As his business grew, Hale envisioned a new, larger home for his family and acquired property on Terrace View Drive in present day Harrill Hills. According to family tradition, the builder and Fountain City’s leading grocer made an arrangement that was not so unusual for its time.

Hale agreed to barter a supply of groceries in exchange for part of the construction cost and the building materials. The arrangement enabled him to finance deluxe features found in very few homes at the time such as the all brick exterior, steel columns and I-beams in the basement to support the two floors above, a drive-through brick garage and concrete tile roof…

…In late 1927, several years after the Franklin house was built, a large-scale development was planned for Harrill Hills. Called the “First and Second Units” and covering a large area from Forest Lane to the north and Gaineswood Road on the south, bounded on the east by Brier Cliff Road and on the west by Jacksboro Pike, the development contained almost 300 building sites.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Today Harrill Hills is a very laid-back, picturesque neighborhood with lots of mature trees and greenery. Although several homes there were built in the 20s and 30s, building continued well into the 60s, giving Harrill Hills an interesting mix of architectural styles which includes everything from stone cottages to mid-century ranchers.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

So if you’re looking for a picturesque, historic community that feels like it’s situated far off the beaten path, but is also very convenient to I-640, downtown, and UT, take a closer look at Harrill Hills.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Here’s Harrill Hills by the numbers -

Harrill Hills*

Current On-Market Listings - 13
Average Asking Price: $169,846
Median Asking Price: $169,900
Most Expensive: $249,900 (4 BR, 4 BA, approx. 2500 sq ft built in 1947)
Least Expensive: $117,900 (3 BR, 1 BA, 1400+ sq ft built in 1955)
Middle of the Road: $169,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1900+ sq ft built in 1951)

Current Pending Sales -
Average Asking Price: $165,000
Median Asking Price:NA

Closed Sales - Jan 2008 - June 30 2008- 6
Average Asking Price - $96,583
Average Sales Price - $99,050
Median Sales Price - $102,400
Average Days on Market - 99

Closed Sales - Jan 2007 - June 30 2007- 5
Asking Price - $178,936
Average Sales Price - $172,996
Median Sales Price - $147,500
Days on Market - 88

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 8/18/08 does not include condos, PUDS, adjacent neighborhoods or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Harrill Hills Listings” or “New Harrill Hill Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Ix-nay on the am-spay.

Know of nice little corner of K-Town that would make a great Neighborhood of the Week? Don’t keep it to yourself - let me know about it and you might just see it featured here one day soon.

This week Neighborhood of the Week heads just to the western edge of downtown to a small community with a big history: historic Mechanicsville.

Not only does old Mechanicsville have a colorful history, it also contains perhaps the largest collection of 19th century architecture in Knoxville. From the Knox Heritage website:

The area of present day Mechanicsville which contains the most intact number of historic structures was developed initially as Deaderick’s Addition, J.W. Swann’s Addition, and Moses Fairview Addition. This area contains the larger Queen Anne and Italianate houses built for factory owners and area businessmen, and the smaller cottages of factory workmen…

Mechanicsville derives its name from the large number of factories that developed just outside its boundaries during the late 18th and early 20th centuries. It was settled around 1880. By 1883, Mechanicsville had a population of over 2,000. Most residents of the Mechanicsville worked in the factories and mills that surrounded the neighborhood. Mechanicsville, with its railroad and water source (Second Creek), quickly became the center for industrial activity in Knoxville…

One of the first industries to locate in Mechanicsville was the Knoxville Iron Company, incorporated in 1868 … The Knoxville Iron Company manufactured bar iron, nails, and railroad spikes, as well as ornamental iron. Ornamental iron fences and trim on houses in Mechanicsville are probably products of the Knoxville Iron Company.

Other industries in Mechanicsville included Knoxville Brewing Company, Knox Standard Handle, W.H. Evans & Son (suppliers of Italian marble), The Pottery and Pipe Works, Knoxville Box & Keg Factory, a railroad turntable factory, a broom factory, a soap factory, Cudley Planning Mill and Knoxville Car & Wheel…

In addition, the Mechanicsville area is home to Knoxville College, founded in 1875.

Knox Heritage has even more on the history of the area, as well as an online tour. If you’re more
interested in architecture, Restore Knoxville has a great write up on the neighborhood’s many architectural styles.

So, if you’re looking for an area close to downtown and rich in history and architecture, definitely check out historic Mechanicsville.

Note: While there is newer construction near the older part of Mechanicsville, for the purposes of this NOTW I’m only going to be looking at the small area that most people consider to be the “historic” section of Mechanicsville.

Here’s historic Mechanicsville by the numbers -

Mechanicsville*

Current On-Market Listings - 5
Average Asking Price: $99,780
Median Asking Price: $71,600
Most Expensive: $259,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 2500+ sq ft restored 1889 Victorian)
Least Expensive: $34,500 (1 BR, 1 BA, 700+ sq ft updated Victorian cottage)
Middle of the Road: $79,900 (1 BR, 1 BA, 800+ sq ft 1899 cottage)

Current Pending Sales - 0
Average Asking Price: NA
Median Asking Price: NA

Closed Sales - Jan 2008 - June 30 2008- 1
Average Asking Price - $27,900
Average Sales Price - $24,000
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market - 36

Closed Sales - Jan 2007 - June 30 2007- 0
Average Asking Price - NA
Average Sales Price - NA
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market - NA

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 7/21/08 does not include condos, PUDS, adjacent neighborhoods or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Mechanicsville Listings” or “New Mechanicsville Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Spam is not a part of the deal.

I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting places to feature on NOTW. If you have a suggestion, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.